


Ari's yee yee Asagao Collection

by PearOfTheStars



Category: Asagao Academy: Normal Boots Club
Genre: Austin can't skateboard for shi-, Austin gambles too much, Ayyyooooooooo, But also Luke loves Hana, Casino au!, Dark Souls au!, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, F/M, Gen, He loves her sm and she deserves it, Jeff Is A Very Bad Host, Jeff is really sad :(, Luke gets Spooked, M/M, Multi, Other, Polyblock is soft af, Random royal-ish au?, Spooky forest chapter :eyes emoji:
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2019-09-28
Packaged: 2020-07-21 08:48:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19999165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PearOfTheStars/pseuds/PearOfTheStars
Summary: This is where I'm gonna start throwing things that I either don't want to post by themselves or are one-off drabbles. Let's hope this goes well.





	1. A little bit of love (Polyblock/Flowertown)

Hana sniffled to herself, scrubbing at her eyes under her glasses with the sleeve of her club jacket to wipe away the hot, heavy tears that just kept falling, and falling, and falling. In one hand, a letter was held, crumpled in a trembling fist. It was a letter from her father. It didn’t contain any bad news, nothing even  _ remotely _ close to horrible. But, after reading it, after seeing her father’s handwriting, after a dull pang in her heart that reminded her she wouldn’t see him again until the end of the year, her lip had begun trembling. She excused herself from her room, Mai calling after her, deep concern in her voice, but Hana needed to be alone for a while. She grabbed her jacket on the way out the door and, almost on autopilot, quickly walked with tears beginning to obscure her vision to the tree out in the field.

They didn’t have the funds for her to go home during school breaks, train tickets from Higanbana to Amiririsu and back were expensive, the trip took hours and hours, and for only about a week it just wasn’t worth it for them financially. Autumn was quickly approaching, the cold winds sweeping in during the morning telling of the change of season; fall break was coming up just as fast. It was going to be lonely, just like spring break was, but now she was even closer with the Hidden Block guys, and all of them would be going home over break. Except for Caddy, she supposed, but he tended to keep to himself when none of the rest of the club was around. Mai, and Normal Boots, sans Shane, would also be leaving. It would be exponentially quieter, Hana thought to herself with a bitter laugh, interrupted with a trembling breath and another sob.

She took off her glasses, slipping them into her pocket as she buried her face in her knees, tucking her legs up to her chest and resting more weight back against the large tree. The knees of her stockings were stained wet with tears now that she didn’t even bother wiping them away. 

“…Hana?” A quiet, careful voice startled Hana less than it probably should have. It was only time until someone from Hidden Block came looking for her and was told of her worrying exit courtesy of Mai.

Hana hiccuped through another sob, prying her head up just enough to catch a glance of Ian standing off to her side, eyebrows furrowed and gray eyes filled with unease. 

“I-Ian, I’m s-so-,” She cut herself off with a sharp, shaky inhale. “I-I’m sor-r-ry.” 

Hana hiccuped again and sniffed, smudging her fingers underneath her eyes to wipe away some tears, only managing to make her eyes redder and puffier.

“What are you apologizing for?” Ian asked softly. He moved to sit down next to her, carefully kneeling before settling down gently beside her.

“I d-don’t kn-n-ow,” Hana sniffed, tightening her grip on her legs, and the paper in her hands. “J-just t-that you’re seeing m-me looking l-like a wr-reck.”

Ian frowned slightly, eyebrows knitting together.

“Hana?”

“Y-yeah?”

“Do you want a hug?”

Hana just nodded. Ian opened his arms, letting Hana scoot closer before completely enveloping her in an embrace. Hana buried her face into his shoulder, clinging to the sides of his jacket. Ian slowly began to rub circles along her spine, making soothing comments over Hana’s crying.

“Hey, It’s okay, it’s gonna be okay,” He promised. 

Hana cried into Ian’s collar for what had to be at least the good of ten minutes, exhausting herself completely. Ian continued to rub her back, every once and a while moving a hand up to smooth her hair, still promising her that she would be alright.

Only once Hana was reduced to dry sniveling did Ian make an attempt to move. He readjusted them so they could be shoulder to shoulder, leaning back against the tree with Hana’s head still resting on him.

“Do you wanna talk?” He asked, voice so quiet Hana almost had to strain to hear it. She shook her head, there wasn’t anything to talk about, she was just being emotional about something she couldn’t control.

“Okay,” Ian sighed, shifting slightly as the bark of the tree pressed awkwardly into his back. In his pocket, his phone let off a ping. He frowned lightly, taking it out of his pocket, other arm still wrapped around Hana. A moment passed, Ian making low humming as he flicked through his messages, typing out a one-handed reply to one of them. Another ping sounded, whatever the message was elicited a breathy laugh from Ian.

“The guys are worried about you,” Ian chuckled lowly. In all honesty, that made Hana feel worse. She was making her friends worried about her for no good reason… 

“Sorry…” She mumbled again. Ian just shook his head. 

“Stop apologizing, you’re not doing anything wrong,” Ian rubbed her arm in reassurance. 

Hana just sighed. She was so tired…

“Would you be okay if I told them to come, too?” Ian asked, tapping his fingers against the back of his phone. “Jeff’s being a mom and now everyone else wants to give you a hug.”

“I mean…” Hana shrugged. “I don’t know if they’d all be comfortable here.” She gestured up at the tree. It was comfortable for the two of them to curl up against, but adding five other people, notably the five other members of Hidden Block... There was no doubt that there would be pushing and elbowing and constant unrest if a cuddle puddle was attempted against the base of the tree.

“We could move to the club room, if you’re up for it,” Ian offered.

“I would be, but… I don’t feel like moving right now,” Hana’s whole body felt heavy. Her eyes were tired and she felt dehydrated; she probably was. She wasn’t sure if her legs would work at the moment even if she willed them to.

“Well, transportation can be arranged,” Ian said with a small, sly smile. Hana didn’t even have time to raise an eyebrow before Ian had scooped her up into his arms. He stood on slightly shaky legs, Hana squeaked embarrassingly and made a mad grab for his shoulders as he nearly stumbled before catching his balance. Ian wasn’t exactly the strongest boy, but Hana was small enough to where she felt just safe enough in his arms that she was pretty sure he wouldn’t end up dropping her.

_ Pretty sure. _

“Here,” Ian wiggled his phone that was still in the hand he was now using to hold up Hana. “Take that and let them know we’ll be at the club room.”

Hana nodded and took the phone from him, waiting until Ian had shifted her in his arms before starting off across the field back to Asagao to tuck the letter she still held in her hand into her pocket and open up the messenger app.

It was already on the Hidden Block group chat, messages from the past five minutes flooded the recently sent with concerned dialog and some specific notes from Jimmy and Wallid demanding a collective blanket fort.

Hana smiled sadly at the messages, part of her was humbled that they cared  _ so _ much about her, but the other part was still telling her that it was her fault they were worried at all.

She typed out a quick message: ‘ _ We’re heading to the club room, feel free to come’ _ . It was met with a flood of replies from everyone in the chat, and even more calls for a blanket fort.

Ian made it to Azalea decently quickly, considering he was carrying someone. The sun was dipping low in the sky, it was a Friday so it didn’t matter how late they were out, but it did make Hana realize how long she’d been out and how long she had been crying for. She sighed heavily, lying her head against Ian’s chest as he walked them up to the Azalea Arts building.

“Mind getting the door for me?” Ian asked. Hana nodded, reaching out and pushing on the handle of the door for Ian, as he currently had his hands occupied making sure he didn’t drop the pink haired girl onto the sidewalk. Hana pushed open the door, Ian held it open with his foot as he carried Hana inside, striding down the empty halls to the Hidden Block club room. 

“You can put me down now, if you want,” Hana said quietly. She could feel Ian’s arms starting to strain underneath her.

“Eh, we’re almost there,” He would have shrugged if that wouldn’t have jostled Hana in his arms.

Hana pushed open the door to the club room, Ian holding it open with his foot again and walking them inside. Finally, he walked over to a near desk, setting Hana gently down on top of it.

“Thank you,” Hana smiled, giggling lightly as Ian heaved a deep breath and rubbed at both of his arms. 

“Yeah, no problem,” Ian stretched his arms up, before letting them swing down to his sides. Hana held out his phone for him, which he graciously took back, stuffing it into his pocket.

“So, how long do you wanna bet it takes for things-one-through-five to show up,” Ian said with a slight smirk, prompting another bought of quiet, tired giggles from Hana.

Not even five seconds after Ian had finished speaking, the club room door slammed open.

“WHAT’S UP, FUCKERS, WHO’S UP FOR BLANKETS AND  _ CUDDLES _ ,” Jimmy screeched, determination in his eyes. True to his word, a mountain of blankets and pillows was in his arms. Wallid was right behind him, carrying another batch of bedding with a manic grin. They dropped their piles together onto the floor, immediately going to pull chairs away from desks and arrange them in a semi-circle just large enough for the sheets to stretch across.

Hana found herself smiling already.

Jeff and Caddy popped in next, Caddy making a B-line straight for Hana. He reached her and immediately wrapped his arms around her, squeezing  _ almost _ too tight. Hana moved to wrap what of her arms wasn’t pinned under Caddy to return the hug.

“Who hurt you and where can I find them,” Caddy mumbled into Hana’s hair. Hana laughed, her voice cracking from being dry from crying.

“It’s just my dumb stupid head,” Hana confessed, prompting Caddy to frown.

“Well, I mean that complicates things,” He contemplated as Hana giggled again. Already she was feeling so much better. Caddy backed away as Jeff approached, cracking a water bottle open. Jeff offered the plastic bottle to Hana, who politely accepted it.

“Stay hydrated,” He said simply before bouncing over to where Jimmy and Wallid were already near done setting up the foundation for a massive blanket fort. She looked over to Ian, who was wearing a small smile of his own. He gave her a pointed look before moving over to join the blanket fort crew. Caddy followed quickly after. Hana stayed sat on her desk for a few minutes, watching the boys chatter and set up the fort, throwing blankets across chairs and stuffing pillows into the opening they’d created. Surprisingly, Caddy and Ian refrained from arguing, just for the occasion.

They were almost done setting up the fort when Luke finally showed up. He practically kicked open the door, slightly distressed. Once he caught sight of Hana, his face fell into relief. He ran towards her, setting down the plastic bag he had in one hand in favor of lifting her off the desk and spinning around.

“Hana!” Luke laughed as Hana squeaked, for the second time in one day being literally swept off her feet. Hana wrapped her arms around Luke’s neck and her legs around his stomach as he swung them around, giggling to herself. If it wasn’t for her still puffy, red eyes, it seemed at this point she was back to normal, albeit still exhausted.

Luke stopped his spinning, grinning at Hana for a moment before leaning in and pressing a kiss to her cheek.

“Sorry I’m late, I brought chocolate,” He laughed lightly as Hana’s expression lit up. 

“Did you really?” Hana gasped. Luke nodded. Hana’s grin widened, she dipped forward and kissed Luke on the lips, giggling as she felt his own smile spread across hers.

“You’re the best,” Hana sighed fondly, the corners of her eyes crinkling.

“Aren’t I though?” Luke beamed.

“Hey!” Wallid called from over by the now completed fort, waving his arms. “A little recognition for all our work, over here!”

“It looks great, Wallid,” Luke snickered, setting Hana down. He picked up the bag he’d left on the floor, passing it to the pink haired girl. Hana took it excitedly, riffling through it and pulling out a small wrapped piece of chocolate.

Luke chuckled lowly at her excitedness for the sweets. He grabbed the water bottle she had left sitting on the desk and also gave that to her. Hana stuck the still wrapped piece of chocolate between her teeth, taking both the bag and water bottle with her over to the blanket fort. Honestly, it looked more like a blanket cave, which was great, considering it needed to fit seven people. She toed off her shoes, nudging them off to the side of the entrance.

She crouched down, throwing the bag in ahead of her to Jimmy, who had already crawled inside and was near buried under a comforter. She ducked further down to avoid ruining the carefully balanced ceiling, crawling on her knees into the back of the cave.

“Welcome to my realm,” Jimmy flourished a hand dramatically, the other one digging through the chocolates. “Make yourself comfortable. You will never leave.”

Hana giggled, gathering a couple pillows to stack behind her as a seat. She ripped open the piece of chocolate she had, crumpling up the wrapper and popping the candy into her mouth.

“Y’all having fun in your little castle?” Ian called in to them, appearing in the entranceway. 

“We sure are,” Jimmy replied. “You guys better get your butts in here before the princesses eat all of the snacks.”

Ian rolled his eyes, taking a moment to remove his shoes before joining them inside. He set up another makeshift pillow chair on the other side of Jimmy, legs crossed underneath himself. Jeff crawled in right behind him, adjusting one of the blankets on the ground into a sort of nest-like structure, shoving it up alongside Ian.

Luke joined them next, settling on the other side of Hana. Jimmy offered the edge of his comforter to him, which Luke took and together they wrapped Hana in a soft, heavy hug.

“You guys…” Hana started to sniffle again, willing herself not to cry. These guys were just the absolute best... What did she do to deserve them?

“Shh, Hana don’t cry,” Luke wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him, nearly onto his lap. Jimmy scooted closer to hold the integrity of their blanket hug. Ian and Jeff also moved in more, making room for Wallid and Caddy, who settled across from them, next to Luke. Finally, all of them were inside.

A collective wave of relaxation washed over them all, they all shifted closer to one another in one way or form. Jeff moved to wrap an arm around Ian’s waist, resting his chin on the third-year’s shoulder. Caddy curled up into the side of Luke that Hana wasn’t already occupying, Wallid nearly lying on top of him.

It was almost too warm, what with all of them wearing their jackets, still in their uniforms from classes earlier that day, and then buried under layers of sheets and blankets and each other, but it ended up being comfy. Warm, comfy, and homey; that was how it felt for Hana being in Hidden Block in general.

Sure, they were rowdy. Borderline crazy, occasionally. As well as anarchal, stubborn, crass, rough, and terrible, sometimes. But they were also insanely loyal, their stubbornness leaking into their will to stick up for and stand by their friends. They were kind, gentle, sweet, and loving. Some of them felt like the brothers she never had, a few of them felt like more than that.

Hana sniffed a last time, clearing her eyes of the tears previously threatening to spill over.

“I love you guys,” She smiled, relishing in the atmosphere saturated with love and care.

“We know, Hana,” Luke answered for all of them, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.


	2. Five, Four, Three, Two, One! (Casino au)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let Ian Do His Job In Peace Please

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lil bit of alcohol mention in this one

"Why, Mister Hargrave! Haven't seen you around here since last week! Thought you'd gotten chased away for good."

Austin looked up from his drink -- an Aperol Spritz, he'd been in the mood for something strong and sweet that night. He immediately caught sight of a familiar face.

"Jeff," He nodded at the man approaching him, sauntering as confident as ever, running the casino carpet like a catwalk.

"Austin," Jeff practically purred. He wore his usual attire. A neatly pressed white dress shirt, black slacks, and a dazzlingly blue bowtie.

"It was only a temporary ban, I'll have you know," Austin muttered into his glass, lifting it to his lips to both take another drink and to hide his face when the other man laughed at him.

"As were the last, oh, eight or so times," Jeff leaned against the bar smugly. "You're really awful at not getting caught, you know."

"I do my best," Austin grumbled. Jeff only laughed at him again.

"Care for a casual?" Jeff proposed. "No bets, just for fun. It's been a while."

"If there isn't a bet, where's the fun?" Austin smirked. A matching grin wormed onto Jeff's face, his needle-sharp teeth making the expression just a twinge more intimidating.

"Come on," He giggled, hooking an arm around Austin's own. "Ian is open right now; we can bother him into a game, I'm sure."

Ian was, in fact, the best dealer in the joint, in Austin and Jeff's eyes at the very least. Maybe that was because he also cheated, and they were fond of cheaters.

Ian would deal you a bad hand if you so much as looked at him wrong. It was amazingly fun to watch the businessmen who fancied themselves relative professionals at poker but happened to be rude or a little too drunk for Ian's tastes get slammed with hand after hand of twos and sevens; off-suit of course. He kept his job because the frustration was an avid motivator to these men, and Ian raked in money.

"Sure, why not," Austin shrugged. "If only to show you up."

"Oh, well," Jeff scoffed, amusement on his face despite. "We'll have to see about that."

"Shall we, then?" Austin moved to stand.

"I'll order us a set of drinks, be right over," Jeff hummed, dropping his hands from Austin's arm. "Anything you want? Another Spritz?" 

He gestured to the empty glass on the bar where Austin once sat.

"That'd be great, thanks," Austin nodded. Jeff nodded in return, then turning to the bartender to make their order. Austin, meanwhile, walked over to the card tables.

"Evening," Austin greeted the dealer as he approached. Ian only fixed him with a tired look.

"Thought they kicked you out," Ian said flatly.

"Only temporarily," Austin flashed him a wide grin. "Can't keep me away for too long."

"A fact I know all too well," Ian grumbled. Austin laughed, setting his hands on the card table.

"Oh, you love me coming around, don't lie," Austin nudged the dealer with his elbow, to which Ian responded with a sharp scowl.

"Only because you pay well," Ian scoffed. "Or make other people pay well."

"I'm hurt, Ian," Austin feigned a pout. "Am I nothing more to you than money? I thought we were friends."

"Not really, no," Ian huffed, idly shuffling his cards in his hands. "We're most definitely not friends."

"I'm hurt," Austin shook his head. "Truly."

Jeff soon appeared, a drink in each hand. He passed the bright orange one to Austin.

"Jeff, did you know Ian doesn't think we're friends?" Austin tisked, taking his drink from Jeff, setting it down on the edge of the table.

"Really?" Jeff's eyebrows raised. "I thought we all had a lovely friendship going on, here."

"Absolutely not," Ian deadpanned.

"Shame," Jeff sighed. "Maybe someday."

Ian rolled his eyes.

"Are you going to play something or are you just here to harass me?" He huffed, fingers tapping impatiently on top of his card deck.

"Yes, yes, we're getting to that," Jeff waved a hand. "Are we not allowed to have fun? Jeez."

"What do you want to play," Ian sighed, already splitting his deck in half to shuffle.

"Gin rummy?" Austin asked. It was Jeff's favorite game, so he expected nothing less.

"Rummy? Yes. Gin? Right here," Jeff smiled, lifting his glass with a wink, swishing the clear liquid it contained.

"Are... Are you drinking straight gin?" Austin couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"Yes," Jeff's grin widened, sharpened teeth glinting in the low casino lighting. 

"He'll drink the stuff like water," Ian scoffed. "Gone through bottles of it."

"Ian!" Jeff gasped, planting a hand on his own chest as if he was offended. "That might be true but you don't have to go out and say it!"

"Yeah, Ian. It's extremely rude to talk to a gentleman about his drinking problem straight to his face, you know," Austin snickered. Jeff smacked him on the arm with a mock offended gasp.

"See, this is why we aren't friends," Ian clicked his tongue, shaking his head.


	3. Death takes us all under his wing in the end (Dark Souls au)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The world is crumbling, civilization is crumbling, people's minds are crumbling. Time isn't what it used to be, anymore. The sky is stained gray and the roads red.
> 
> In the thicket of the end of the world, a soldier is tasked with protecting a pendant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Weehoo 
> 
> Chapter warnings for uhh, near death I guess? Also blood. And also Dark Souls typical depression 
> 
> Yes I know pendants aren't really a thing in DS but I needed a magic thing with an edgy name and a necklace worked best okay

“Just do it,” Jeff spat. The tip of the warrior’s blade hovered millimeters from the skin of his neck. “You coward.”

He had lost.

Humiliated, bested in combat, now flat on his back with his spear halfway across the room. His shield was doing no favors for him as the warrior standing above him kept his arm pinned down with a heavy boot on his wrist.

The warrior did not waver, but he did pause.

He moved the tip of his sword to the bottom of Jeff’s helmet. Jeff could do nothing but grit his teeth as the warrior pushed it up and off of Jeff’s head.

“You’re human,” The warrior seemed surprised.

“Yes,” Jeff snarled. He really wished he could move because the blood dripping down his throat from his bleeding nose was nearly making him gag and he wanted to spit.

“I didn’t...” The armored man trailed off. “I didn’t realize. I’m sorry.”

“What difference does it make,” Jeff sneered. “Just kill me, you won.”

His singular purpose for living in this hell-scape of a world was to protect the Bloodstone Pendant.

Now, the temple he guarded had blood and dirt on the marble floors, its protector prone and at sword point. What good was he anymore?

The warrior reached up with his free hand, grasping his helmet and removing it, letting it clatter to the floor, the sound ringing throughout the temple.

Jeff didn’t know what he was expecting, but it wasn’t a weary, pale faced man.

He had to be Jeff’s age. Or less. Or more. Depending on how time wanted to work in that moment.

The bags under his eyes and his tired expression shared the tale of a traveler, not a ruthless militant or something lacking a soul.

“I’m only here for the pendant,” The man’s voice came out softer when not echoing through his helmet. The wolf with its teeth bared burnished in the metal might have added something to the way Jeff received his speech, as well. “If I can spare an uncursed life, I will.”

Jeff could do nothing but blink in silence and disbelief.

“My life is dedicated to the Bloodstone,” Jeff swallowed thickly, again nearly gagging at the overwhelming sting of copper in his throat. “Take it, but save me from uselessness.”

People lost their humanity, were stripped down to their core from their obsession with their purpose or their lack of one. Jeff had nowhere but the temple. He would rather die then become a shell of himself, withering to nothing with no reason to live.

The warrior lowered his sword ever so slightly, a flicker of pity crossing his face.

“I’m sorry,” He said. “But I won’t kill you.”

“Why?” Jeff coughed out a bitter laugh. “You’ve gotten this far.”

“True life is a gift nowadays,” The warrior replied with a pensive frown. “You are something whole and untouched. You bleed red and you breathe. How could I take that from you?”

“Then understand that the amulet and this temple are my life. Leave now and forget your prize or take what you call a gift and I call a curse and leave with the Bloodstone,” Jeff felt the prickle of tears sting his eyes. He was scared of dying, but he was more scared of being forced to live.

The warrior lowered his sword all the way, pulling the blade away from Jeff’s throat completely. He eased up his foot on Jeff’s wrist and Jeff almost sobbed.

“Please, God, don’t leave me to loose myself,” Jeff cursed his voice for shaking. “I don’t want to be nothing.”

“Then come with me,” The warrior said softly. “Continue protecting the pendant, perhaps find a new life in something else on your travels.”

Jeff bit his tongue, doing his best to blink the tears away as they began to fall, leaving tracks in the grit smeared across his cheeks.

“My name is Austin,” The warrior stepped fully off of Jeff’s arm, still standing over him but no longer holding him down. “I collect magic and seek to right the world.”

“Then your task in impossible,” Jeff laughed through a sob.

Austin said nothing, he simply held out his hand.

Jeff looked up at him, tears blurring his vision. He finally reached up with one shaky hand, letting Austin help pull him up to stand. His muscles screamed and his head throbbed, protesting greatly against being upright.

Jeff let his shield slip off his arm, crashing to the marble floor with another echoing clang. He stripped the gauntlets off his hands, letting them also drop to the ground. He reached behind his neck with trembling fingers, unclasping the chain of the talisman around his neck, gently pulling it up from underneath his armor.

The deep red pendant hung heavy on the end of the dull, silver chain.

Austin closed his eyes and bowed his head, allowing Jeff to secure the chain around his neck.

“Thank you,” Austin smiled, something small but genuine Jeff hadn’t seen in a lifetime. He simply nodded in return.

“Now,” The warrior continued. “Gather your things, you are on a quest for new life.”

Austin extended his hand again.

Jeff took it.


	4. Dream a Little Dream of Me (Casino au)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ayyy we're back at the casino with something short and sweet! Now with more gay!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter warnings for alcohol.

This was the ideal for Jeff, honestly.

Painkillers, nice music, money on the table, drinks he rarely had to pay for...

Tonight a man had been ever so kind, offering to pay for him, which Jeff at first took as a kind gesture. After three rounds he took it as a come-on, and after five and a sharp  _ look _ from Ian he realized it was just another house lackey trying to get him wasted so he would slip up. Really a shame, he was cute. He must have been new, too, given that he didn’t know Jeff and therefore wasn’t prepared to buy a full bottle outright.

Ian said he hated Jeff, but he always warned him when he was playing against the house. It was almost sweet.

Still, probably to the frustration of the man who had offered to pay, Jeff accepted the steady stream of liquor, the warm and fuzzy feeling in his chest only driving him to stay at the cards table for longer. His chips had piled up, neat little stacks of blue and red disks; a good haul for the night.

He was thinking about calling it quits soon, though. Ian was dealing poker tonight, which Jeff was still fond of, but it just wasn’t the same. Not even alcohol could keep him at the table if he got bored, and he got bored far too easily if Austin wasn’t there.

Austin... Oh, Austin.

What an idiot.

  
Jeff loved him, he really did.

He was as dirty and nasty of a cheat as Jeff was, but  _ God _ was he too easy to catch. It was adorable, and fun to watch. He also fell for the temptation of alcohol on nights out. It wasn’t as much of a constant for him as it was for Jeff, but it still made his mind and fingers slow. Too many times had Jeff caught the other man’s tired eyes flickering over Ian’s hands as he dealt. Ian didn’t narc on card counting or anything else often, but Austin tended to get caught at other tables, or by one of the wandering members of security.

Jeff smiled into his scotch, a memory flitting through his head of Austin blowing him a kiss as he was dragged out of the casino doors for a week.

He’d be back in another day, dressed up slick, grinning smugly at whichever members of security had tossed him out most recently. He’d be as suave as a lamp post in a three-piece suit could be and Jeff would laugh at him and tease him for it -- _it_ being anything and everything. They’d fuck off and play billiards in the lounge room when they got tired of cards and dice. They’d play a few rounds until one of them decided to retire for the night. No matter who decided to go first, they always left the same. 

Austin would pick up Jeff’s hand, bringing it to his lips. He would kiss the smaller man’s knuckles gently.

“I’m not royalty,” Jeff would slur through his speech and scoff as Austin looked up at him through his bangs. “I’m a drunkard and a cheat.”

“ _ Absolutely _ ,” Austin would grin.

Jeff sighed, slapping a suited full house down on the green. He was done for the night.


	5. Castle Of Bones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeff is a very bad host

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did this for a writing sprint in the discord yeehaw
> 
> Warning for jeff is a nasty man in this

There was silence in the hall, nothing but the quiet clicks of glasses and ceramic. The occasional scrape of a knife against a plate. The subtle shifting of one of the two men in their seats.

Poison was a wonderful thing, to some. It came in many forms. Liquid; tasteless and colorless, easy to slip into wine. Pills; simple to push past someone's tongue. Powder... Easy to store in capsule rings, sprinkled like a garnish on what would have otherwise been a beautiful meal.

Jeff twisted the rings on his fingers idly, musing to himself that in the same way cyanide tasted like almonds, arsenic powder fit in well with table salt. He never salted his food.

His guest, on the other hand...

"Your chefs are wonderful," The visiting nobleman noted, pausing from eating for a moment to regard his host.

"They are, aren't they?" Jeff smiled. "I'm always happy to have a guest to show off their skills to."

Jeff's guest returned a small smile. The man didn't smile much, Jeff had noticed... Which was a shame; He looked nice smiling. Maybe that's what Jeff could do... Sew his mouth into a pretty smile... Oh, what a display that would be.

Jeff shuddered. He needed to wait... The poison would set in soon, he could curb his excitement until the man across from him was a lifeless doll.

His name was Ian... A duke from a county over. He was only passing through; Jeff always had his fortress open to noble travelers.

"Do you not get guests often?" Ian asked.

"Only those who pass through," Jeff chuckled. "Such as yourself."

"Ah," Ian nodded in understanding. "Well, I'll have to be sure to pass through again, then. It really is a lovely place you have, here."

Oh, but you'll never get the chance to, Jeff thought fondly. He rested his chin in his palm, eyes tracing over Ian. He wondered to himself where the poison was in his bloodstream...


	6. Luke hated the attic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> more writing sprint stuff yeehaw

Luke hated the attic. He really did. It was dark and dusty... Cold and horribly unorganized. He supposed that was why he was up here, though; to straighten things out. It would be a good place to store his music supplies once it was all cleared out.

The landlord had been indifferent about what he did with the stuff in the attic. His exact words were 'I could care less, so whatever you want with it, it's all just junk in there.'

At least he had some help. Ian, despite his loud protesting, was being a good friend and helping Luke move in. He was busy downstairs, currently. Last time Luke saw him he was putting the kitchen together, leaving Luke alone to start moving boxes that weren't even his out of the attic.

He found the light switch on the side of the un-paneled wall. He waited patiently as the old bulbs flickered to life, casting a dim but suitable glow around the room. Luke was relieved he wouldn't be alone with just his phone flashlight, the working electricity made the whole place a lot less unwelcoming already. 

And, he noted to himself, it meant he could set up his speakers up here! And maybe his keyboard, too, if there was room.

It was a cramped space, especially considering Luke's height. The roof sloped, leaving the centerline of the room with the most space, as closer to the walls the ceiling closed in more and more.

Luke got to work, shifting boxes out of place, moving them down the stairs, doing his best not to sneeze every two seconds due to the dust and cobwebs.

All was going well until he came across a particularly large box.

It came up to his chest, which was impressive knowing Luke's height. It didn't have any labels on it; no company logo or even marking to say what was inside of it.

Luke tried to move it.

It didn't budge.

Luke's brow furrowed. He considered himself a reasonably fit man... What was in this box that was so heavy it wouldn't even budge? He tried again, heaving at the box. He dug his heels into the floor as he tried to even get it to move an inch, making the wood under his feet creak, but the box still stayed firmly in place.

Well... Whatever it was, it had to go. He was there to make room, after all.

He sighed, trotting back over to the door, picking up a box opener he'd brought in case of a situation such as this one.

He cut open the top of the box, slicing the old, yellowed tape with ease. He set the box cutter off to the side, prying open the old cardboard to take a peek inside.

Inside the box was, surprisingly, a set of what looked to be... leathery wings.

They were large, extremely large, taking up almost all of the space of the box. They were covered in a thin layer of dust, seemingly untouched for however long it had been until Luke disturbed them. They were dark... Not completely black, but near it. They held a slight red tint to them in the low light.

The box shook suddenly, making Luke jump back with a yelp.

He stumbled back as the box continued to rattle, the cardboard warbling as the wings inside of it shook violently. The cardboard ripped slowly, being shredded by the aggressive vibrating of the wings.

Luke's heart lept into his throat. He stumbled further back, scrambling to hide behind a large row of boxes just as the wings finally burst from the box completely.

Luke risked a peek over the rise of cardboard.

The two wings were beating in mid-air, shaking shreds of cardboard off of themselves. They weren't attached to anything... They were just two, massive wings stretching across the expanse of the attic.

Luke watched with wide eyes as the wings continued to flap, seeming to idle in place for a moment before, without any warning, they shot up into the air, crashing straight through the ceiling as if it were made of paper. It rained shingles and dust from the hole they made, light streaming in.

Luke sat behind his hiding place, jaw slack, staring at the new hole in his attic ceiling.

_ What the hell? _


	7. in which austin needs to learn how to watch the freakin road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> yet another sprint!

The subtle  _ ka thunk, ka thunk, ka thunk _ as he rolled along kept a steady beat in time with the music playing through his earbuds, wheels skipping over every line in the sidewalk.

Austin was late, as per usual. It was almost a joke in his friend group at that point. Oh, where's Austin? Wait fifteen minutes... If he hasn't arrived by then, then you can start worrying.

So, as Austin was late, he was doing his best to make up for the lost distance. His foot kicked off hard on the asphalt, giving him a boost of speed on his skateboard.

Truthfully, had anyone looked at him, they generally wouldn't have pinned him as the type to skate, what with his massive lack of coordination and all. But, as previously mentioned, he was often late, so he'd picked up skating as a way to hopefully be more timely.

That hadn't worked very well, in fact he'd just used it as an excuse to wait to head out until the last minute even more, swearing that he wouldn't be late because he could travel faster on his board than on foot...

"God damnit," Austin hissed. His music was suddenly interrupted by a blaring alarm, the sudden noise nearly knocking him off balance. He shifted his front foot on his board, glancing down for one moment to dig in his pocket to hopefully silence the alarm.

He grumbled to himself, sliding the red dot across his screen to quiet the blaring noise. He stuffed his phone back into his pocket, looking up just in time to catch a flash of brown hair before he collided straight into another person.

He went toppling off his board, the person he'd run into yelping out a stifled noise of surprise as they both were sent crashing to the sidewalk.

"Oww..."

"Shit... Sorry," Austin groaned. He winced as he sat up, removing himself from on top of the person he'd crashed into. Another man, vaguely around his height. At least he hadn't bowled over someone too terribly smaller than him... The odds of there being any serious injuries went down, then.

"Watch where you're going," The other man grumbled, shifting to rest on his elbows with a pained hiss. Austin moved to back up more, only to find that his own earbuds had been tangled with the other man's.

"Sorry," Austin repeated, tugging gently at the string of his earbuds. No... They were definitely knotted together.

"Fucking skateboarders," The other man huffed, finally shifting to sit more upright. He pulled his legs up under him. Austin only then realized he was wearing horrendously vibrant blue inline skates.

"I said sorry," Austin huffed. "I only looked away for one second... I didn't try and hit you."

The other man just sighed.

"Whatever, just... Don't do it again I guess," He then frowned, seeming to catch notice of his and Austin's earbuds being severely tangled together. 

He hummed, his brow furrowing. He reached for the knot at the same moment Austin happened to. Their fingers bumped together and Austin immediately swiped his hand back.

"Ah, s-sorry," He fumbled again. The man only raised an eyebrow at him, muttering something under his breath, getting to work untangling their wires.

"There you go," The man eventually handed Austin back his now unwinded earbuds.

"Thanks," Austin breathed out a chuckle. "Sorry again for uh, crashing into you."

"It's fine, it's whatever," The other man shrugged. He seemed less frustrated, which was good.

Austin pushed himself up to stand, offering a hand to the other man. He took it, letting Austin help him stand up. He slid an inch or two backwards on his skates, turning his foot sideways to keep himself from going any further.

"I'm, uh, Austin, by the way," Austin said, awkwardly stuffing his hands in his pockets once the man was stable and standing. He looked Austin over once, his eyes flickering from his awfully messy hair to his scuffed up, checkered Vans.

"Jeff," He said finally. "Nice to meet you."

He snorted quickly after saying that.

"Well, not really, but I'm slightly less in pain now so, hi, I guess."

"Yeah," Austin winced. "Like I said... Really, really sorry about that."

"It's fine," Jeff shrugged. "Just, uh..."

Jeff pointed over to the grass lining the sidewalk, where Austin's skateboard had rolled off onto and then somehow upturned itself.

"Maybe keep your eyes on the road next time."

  
  



	8. Return of the casino au

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Austin really sucks at not getting caught.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was for another writing sprint lol, so it ends kinda quickly but,,, other than that, happy with it. Just a quick return to the gamble boys.

There was a gentle ambiance to the club that Austin couldn’t ever find the words to describe. There was the clatter of rolling dice, the  _ tick, tick, tick _ of roulette wheels, the folding of cards, quiet chatter and the clinking of glasses, brimmed with alcohol to keep the patrons happy.

Austin wasn’t hearing it currently, though.

Instead, he was hearing the roaring of cars, and the buzz of neon signs.

Austin sighed through his nose, cupping his hands up around the cigarette he was trying desperately to light for warmth in the alleyway outside of the casino. He’d gotten kicked out, again. Jeff had laughed at him as he was dragged out, but had called after him with a promise to join him soon.

Austin was not fond of playing fair. He never had been, doubted he ever would be. He cheated and bluffed and was guilty on more than one occasion bribing the dealer. It was wrong, he knew. He just didn’t particularly care.

He got caught too often, though. Jeff always poked fun at him for it; How he was obvious, and his carelessness was often punished by being banished from the casino for however long was seen fit. He hadn’t gotten banned completely, yet. He supposed he was lucky for that.

Austin just couldn’t help himself. When it came to cards, he found it second nature to count them as they were being passed out, or to slip one up his sleeve. It was just another part of the game; One that was fun, and let him win more often.

It was never fun cheating alone, though. That’s why he was so happy to have met Jeff. His partner in crime… They were both weasels when it came to the rules. Jeff was somehow better at avoiding attention, though. Which, to be honest, was impressive, considering Jeff in general.

He was generally very show-y. He came to the casino dressed up nicely, he always had a drink in hand. His teeth were like a shark’s, sharp and dangerous. It was a mystery to Austin as to how he managed to avert eyes to his cheating. But he did, and he ended up in trouble far, far less than Austin did. Somehow…


	9. Into the woods (and home before dark)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't wander off the path. Ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another sprint!!! wow,,,
> 
> Can you figure out what got Austin so spooked at the end ;)

Austin could barely see in the dark. The forest was dense, the trunks of the trees just far enough apart for him to squeeze through them; He had long lost the path.

He cursed under his breath as bramble scraped him, tree branches caught his arms and his sides. He felt a dribble of blood across his cheek from where a branch had nicked him.

He glanced upward, squinting through the impenetrable mass of leaves to try and see the sun. He saw nothing, of course, just the ever, ever so small trickle of light through the canopy.

This was a mistake... Never travel outside the village, that was what he had heard his entire life. Never go through the forest, always stay on the path, no matter what.

But fuck, he saw something in the trees... He saw something, something bright and hypnotizing. Something that drew his feet off the path and into the brambles, stumbling forward in the growing darkness until he looked back and didn't even know which way to walk to find the path again.

He had been searching for... God only knew how long. He couldn't tell if the sun was sinking in the sky.

His legs ached like all Hell, though, both from walking and from being pricked and scraped by the rough bushes and loose sticks covering the forest floor.

Austin let out a surprised yelp, an involuntary call of distress when his toe caught in what must have been a mouse hole, sending him crashing down onto the dirt floor, thinly coated with leaves. Not enough to break his fall.

He groaned, tears welling in his eyes. He was already tired, sore, and- oh fuck- his ankle didn't feel good...

Austin whimpered to himself, moving to sit in a position where he could clutch at his ankle. It was throbbing, the muscles tense and aching. He'd definitely rolled it a wrong way... God, did it hurt. He had to take a break, at least for a minute.

He couldn't just sit on the floor of the forest forever... And he was scared he wouldn't make it out of the forest before nightfall... But there was no way he could keep stumbling through the thicket with pain in every single step he took.

Goddamnit... Why did he have to stray from the path?

Austin sniffled quietly to no one but himself. 

Or so he thought.

"Hello?"

A voice broke through the atmospheric ambiance of the forest; One Austin didn't recognize in the slightest.

"H-hello?" Austin called back. He wasn't sure who else would be in the forest, but he hoped they would be better than being left alone.

There was a shifting in the branches nearby to Austin, and creature Austin immediately thought of as indescribable faded into view.

It was... Thin... That was the first word that came to him. Emancipated, almost, all sharp angles and ridges. As it stepped closer, more words came to Austin.

The creature was... Pretty, in a sense. Large, round eyes glowed in what little light streamed through the trees towering over them. Dark, spidery lashes framed the moon-like eyes, giving the creature a soft, tired, almost doll-like appearance.

Austin's breath hitched. He'd never seen anything like this creature before... Not in books, not in stories, and definitely not with his own eyes.

"I can show you the way back," It offered. Austin nodded quickly. He didn't care what kind of deal he could possibly be making with the thing standing before him, he just wanted to go home.

They talked minimally as the creature led Austin back to the path he originally strayed from.

"Do you have a name?" Austin asked. He felt bad referring to what was helping him as simply 'a creature' in his head. He also decided calling them an 'it' had to be rude, as well.

"Yes, but I'm not supposed to give it away to human folk," They answered.

"Oh," Austin replied, going quiet again.

"You can call me..." They began again; A sweet, subtle hum coming from them. "What's a human name?"

"Uh," Austin's nose wrinkled. "Fred? Bob? Jeff?"

"I like Jeff," They mumbled. "Call me that, then."

"Alright," Austin nodded. He liked Jeff already.

Jeff finally led him all the way to the path. Austin felt relief wash over him as it came into view.

"Ah, thank you so much!" Austin smiled broadly. He could see the sun, now. The trees were thinner by the path. It was getting low, he was lucky to have found a way back, or rather lucky to have been shown one.

"Of course," Jeff's face twisted into what Austin would have guessed was a smile for them. It faded quickly.

"Austin?" Jeff started, gaining a hum from the boy in question. "Don't... Don't wander off the path again."

"I won't-"

"No," Jeff insisted, more firmly this time. "Do not wander off the path again. Ever. Do you understand?"

"...Yes. I do. I promise, I won't."

"Good," Jeff breathed a gentle sigh. "Good..."

Austin looked back down the path with a smile on his face. It, too, soon faded. He'd realized something...

"Wait-"

He turned around, but Jeff was gone.


End file.
